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This Is The Holiday Mash-Up Your Teen Piano Students Are Itching To Play

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If you and your piano students loved our giveaway holiday piece “Three Ships”, then you’ll definitely want to download the Christmas music we’re sharing today! Be sure to listen to the full preview below…

I have a very old Christmas carol book that used to be my Grandma’s. It’s probably 80 years old. She played from it, I played from it, and now I teach from it. Just the sight of that book floods me with holiday memories of my childhood, my teenage years, my first-married years, my “young first-time-teacher” years… all of it.

So when I hauled out that same old book to let one of my piano students choose a piece from it last week it was with welcome nostalgia.

My Grandma has been gone now for over 3 years but that book still reminds me of her; her spidery cursive writing is right there on the cover. There’s a small chew mark in the corner from where my daughter “tasted” We Three Kings as a baby. Memories.

But my piano student couldn’t choose just one carol. I like them all! You pick for me!

So I chose Away in a Manger.

We had a little discussion about how confusing this tune can be, given that there are two well-known versions of it… We goofed about creating a “mash-up” of the two and she added “Oh! And it would be cool to add a whole bunch more carols in there… then I wouldn’t have to choose just one!”

In The Bright Sky… Christmas Music For Teens

Later that night, with her comment in mind, I composed In The Bright Sky… a lyrical pop piano solo where the two “Away in a Mangers” combine… and where other favorite carols make mini-appearances too!

You can listen to In The Bright Sky below before downloading your own copy. And, just for fun, see if you can name all 7 carols that make an appearance!

 In The Bright Sky is available for free in the files of our Teen Piano Music Facebook group. You can access this sheet music (and lots of other free pieces and resources including the uber-popular piece “Wolf”) by joining the group. We hope In The Bright Sky stirs the same feelings of holiday happiness for you and your students as my Grandma’s old carol book does for me!

Check out this recording of “In The Bright Sky” by Michelle Miller

More Holiday Fun To Come…

We love giving things away at any time of the year, but during the holiday season it’s like Santa’s Workshop around the blog – so stay tuned as the fun printables keep coming!

And we want to know… what has been your favorite Teach Piano Today holiday resource, printable, blog post, or book that you’ve used either recently, or in the past?

Share in the comments below before Monday, December 7th at 12:00am PST and four lucky people will be chosen at random to select a PianoBookClub book of their choice!

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129 Responses to This Is The Holiday Mash-Up Your Teen Piano Students Are Itching To Play

  1. Thanks a lot for the song! Toghether with the Three Ships song I use a lot the fortune teller to practise intervals.

    Reply

  2. I’m fairly new to TPT and am reading and using your blog posts to keep my now “tween” agers going strong. You have been a wealth of information in bringing me into the digital world where they live!

    Reply

  3. I just moved and have to start my studio all over. :'( But I love all the music you provide. I love to play Three Ships. My husband is the perfect level for all the teen-targeted music in the Piano Book Club. I love having my children see both Mommy AND Daddy having fun at the piano. Thank you for everything, Dows!

    Reply

  5. You gave this away as a part of the 12 Gifts of Christmas two years ago — The Snow Day Board Game. But I get a lot of mileage out of…we play it until about March and the students never seems to tire of it. They even wanted to play it once the flowers started blooming! Thanks for all the great gifts. Santa couldn’t bring anything better for a piano teacher than what we get from Andrea and Trevor. Happy, Happy Holidays!

    Reply

  6. I loved the Mutterwump Masterpiece with my younger kids this summer as a little project. They received a new piece each week and LOVED it.
    Guardians of Arranmore is so awesome for studying those minor keys!
    I guess I need to be fired as a piano teacher though…..because I can only find 5 Carols in this Mash-Up! Please list ALL 7 you are claiming!!!
    I’ve got: Away in a Manger-traditional, Away in a Manger-English version, Joy to the World, Holly and the Ivy and The First Noel.
    🙂
    I’m going to be checking back on this!!!

    Reply

  7. Thanks so much for this! My teens get so excited when they get music that is ‘written for them’. They will love it!

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  8. Love your blog, website, resources, and generosity. Fearless Fortissimo is my favorite–so far. . . It just electrifies kids and makes them want to get to the piano! But there are so many great resources and ideas you’ve shared that really help. Another great one is the fingercise cup to fix collapsing finger joints. Some kids just need it.
    And I’m there with L. Warren–I can only find the same 5, and I thought I knew my carols pretty well!

    Reply

    • Hi Rachel – so happy to hear you are a Fortissimo fan! To save you from wondering – the carols are:
      The two versions of Away in a Manger, Joy to The World, What Child is This? (immediately follows the Joy to the World excerpt), Holly and the Ivy, Deck the Halls and the First Noel. Itty bits of each, but they’re there 🙂

      Reply

  11. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful arrangement — I really enjoyed playing it right after downloading! I am very excited to share it with some of my teens!

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  12. 1. I can’t believe how much you give us for FREEEEEE,
    2. I’m crazy about Wunderkeys
    3. I used the Improv Halloween game for our monthly make-up class and will use the Christmas one too
    4. Piano Hands Shouldn’t Flip Burgers changed my life. From 9 students to 100 now.
    5. Thank you, Thank you and THANK YOU!!

    Reply

    • Wow Kelly – congrats on the rapid expansion of your studio 🙂 9 students to 100 is awesome – happy that the Piano Hands book was a small part of that 🙂

      Reply

  13. Our recital is next week at a local rest home. Then it’s party time using so many of your fun game ideas. Love them.

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  15. I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite thing you’ve shared. All your blogs, pieces etc are fantastic and all my students love them as much as I do.

    Reply

  17. Right now my favorite holiday resource is the Rollicking Reindeer book. I started using it last week. What a clever idea in the “Dasher” song to have students use candy canes as drumsticks to tap out the rhythm, and to have them use a different hand to drum each type of note (quarter note or eight note). It really helps them pay attention to the difference between the notes! Thank you for everything, including this beautiful song!

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  18. I wait eagerly every day for your post. I have learned so much and am a very different (better) teacher because of you. What a generous couple you are. I hope you are rewarded by the number of teachers that are helped like me.

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  19. Thanks so much for your really helpful posts throughout the year. I love ‘ In the Bright Sky’ and think my students will too.

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  20. I love your fun ideas for games. I have one-on-one lessons with my students, and as a new teacher, I like having a repertoire of games, in which they learn something new. I use them when my lesson ends a minute or two early. thanks so much for everything!

    Reply

  21. Hi
    Yes thank you sooo sooo much for all the inspiration. I am very happy that I joined your clubs. Kids love the games and my new teen student decided to continue as he loves the Christmas piece too. You have changed my way of teaching for a better one. Thank you :-)))

    Reply

  22. I love the recital readiness cards. Our recital is this week and they are ready to announce their pieces with GUSTO! It gets them thinking about their speed too! I’ve also been recording them this week! Such great help!!

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  23. I echo everyone who has shared their enthusiasm for your site, and all you offer!! I was so pleased to have one of my teen students play Three Ships at today’s Christmas recital. She loved learning and performing it, and the audience loved hearing it … thank you for making it available!

    Reply

  25. Thank you so much! I’ve been following your blog for a few months and have loved and learned so much. I just signed up for the book club and I’m looking forward to 2016 with you!

    Reply

    • Hi Christine! Wonderful to hear! 🙂 We look forward to sending you some exciting new supplementary repertoire in the New Year!

      Reply

  28. Thank you so much for the Christmas resources.
    Three Ships and In the Bright Sky are beautiful. My students are really enjoying playing your music and I am enjoying being a club member. Thank you.

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  29. In October, my students had a lot of fun with Monster Mash Up and Hocus Pocus Black Cat. I am looking forward to trying out the Christmas Improv with them in December. Thank you!

    Reply

  31. Hey! My student and I were trying to figure all 7 songs in “In the Bright Sky”. We can only come up with 4 (5 if you count the one that we know is a song but don’t know the name). Can you help us out? Thanks!!!

    Reply

  32. I have several teen beginner students. Your arrangements have been perfect for them–not childish and challenging enough for an older beginner to learn and sound good even at a beginning level!
    Thank you so much for your diligence and creativity. Have a wonderful Christmas season.

    Reply

  33. Will this music ever be added to the subscriber only printable pages? (I’m not on Facebook, so I can’t join the group.)

    Reply

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